Thieving Fear by Ramsey Campbell Read Free Book Online

It's like your cousin doesn't want to admit she's writing about it. I'd want to see him suffer a lot worse. In public would be better too.'
    'You don't think that's too basic.'
    'The word is don't risk sales by aiming too high.' Glen laid a hand on her wrist while he said 'Listen, you're the editor. Tell me to shove my suggestions if you've got other ideas.'
    'I wouldn't be so rude.'
    'Hope you don't think I am,' he said before transferring his hand to his glass. 'The guy they turn blind, now. I figured they could do it to him when he's speeding in whatever snazzy car he owns.'
    'Won't that seem too vindictive?'
    'Depends how much they had to put up with. How about the woman who's in her second childhood gets raped by him? Or even a gang rape. Just so we've enough reason to wish the worst on the bad guys.'
    Charlotte felt as if someone were wishing claustrophobia on her. Even if the cramped inadequately lit place that Glen was stuffing with ideas was her mind, the low dim room shrunken by the mass of books had become far too similar. 'Your title makes it sound as if that's them,' she said.
    ' Bad Old Things ?' Having savoured it like another mouthful of wine, he said 'Nothing wrong with them being wicked if they were treated bad enough. The guy that ends up crippled like the woman he keeps tripping up, maybe they should make him get outrageous with his stick.'
    She wondered if he would ever propose a change that she might simply agree with. 'That's a bit incorrect, isn't it?'
    'Then maybe your cousin should target the public that's sick of correctness. If anyone objects, that's publicity too.'
    'I'll have to see what she thinks.'
    'Well, sure, and there's another point you need to put to her. I don't believe the story yet. It needs a better gimmick.' Glen emptied the bottle into his glass when Charlotte covered hers. 'Try this,' he said. 'Someone new moves in and sees how they're all being treated, and she turns out to be a witch.'
    'Perhaps she could be the thirteenth resident.'
    'I love it. Great idea. Now you're on the wavelength.'
    Charlotte had been joking if not hoping the proposal would strike him as a step too far. As she strove to hold her expression neutral she felt watched, not just by Glen. The bookseller was kneeling in front of a shelf, and everyone at the bar had their backs to her. Peering about only seemed to bring the book-laden shelves closer, and she could have imagined that the earth around them was pressing them inwards – that the dimness adumbrated a seepage of earth. She could almost have thought that its smell was overtaking the odour of books. She was fending off the impressions as Glen said 'We ought to be writing some of this down. I'll email it to you tomorrow, all I can remember.'
    He drained his glass and raised the empty bottle. 'Shall we celebrate?'
    'I think I've had enough, thanks, Glen.'
    'Better eat, then,' he said and recaptured her wrist. 'Let me buy dinner.'
    She felt as if he were shackling her under the earth. 'Can we make it another time?' she murmured. 'I wouldn't mind heading for home.'
    'Whatever's good for you. Let's make it soon, though, yes? How's next week?'
    'I should think it's fine.'
    'Look forward to it,' he said or advised, relinquishing her wrist. As she stood up he said 'Not finishing your drink?'
    'It's yours,' Charlotte said and hurried to the stairs, where a musty breath caught in her throat. The open air was less of a relief than she had anticipated; the length of blue sky looked clamped by the roofs, brought low by them. 'See you on Monday,' she said as soon as Glen appeared, 'and thanks for everything.' As he set out for the car park she turned towards Tottenham Court Road, only to remember that the train was underground. She didn't need to understand her yearning to be in the open and closer to the sky. The train was quicker than the bus, and once she was home she could go on the roof.

FOUR
    Hugh had just managed to locate the nightwear section on the upper